1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method and a control program of the same, which allocate operational buttons to external keys.
2. Description of Prior Art
In recent years, as office automation and home automation progress, the efficiency of social activities also progresses. Particularly, a network system for improving the efficiency by connecting a plurality of personal computers (PCs) with the network system is utilized in various areas of fields. For example, developed in a company has been a system having a network onto which a plurality of personal computes and a copier are connected for printing documents and image data produced by the personal computers and/or for reading data stored in a floppy disk (registered trade-name) and printing them by the copier.
Further, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H8-293954 discloses a copier capable of utilizing the copier as not only a copier but also a personal computer. According to the Japanese Patent Application described above, since the keyboard of the personal computer can not only operate the copier but also the copier can be used as a personal computer, it becomes possible to reduce the cost comparing with the cost when separately buying the copier and the personal computer. Further, by allocating the each key of the operational panel of the copier to each key of the keyboard of the personal computer, it becomes possible to operate the copier from the keyboard of the personal computer.
However, when trying to execute the same operation by connecting a keyboard with the conventional copier into which a copier and a person computer are combined, since each key of the keyboard is not allocated to each key of the copier, there is a case that the operation cannot be executed. Further, in recent year, it is common that plural people share one copier. Meanwhile, copiers having various functions based on the recent progress of technologies have been developed. Consequently, since the using method and functions of one copier are different for each user, it is necessary to improve the operability of each user.
Further, when using the copier, there are many cases that plural operations are required. Since as the technologies of copier progress, the operations of the copier have become complicated, there is another problem that it takes time to setup the printing conditions.
An object of the present invention to improve the operability of a user with a keyboard as an external operation input device which is connected to an image forming apparatus, when plural users share one image forming apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to change the plural operations into easy operations. Another object here is to improve the handling of the copier by allowing the user to be able to retrace back to the operation, which the user has operated.